


Braids

by brightclam



Series: Courting a Vulcan [2]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Don't copy to other sites, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, happy and healthy polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 18:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17606861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightclam/pseuds/brightclam
Summary: Elizabeth Cutler has a big problem: she's managed to become friends with T'pol, as she set out to do. However, along the way she's fallen in love with her and her best friend Hoshi too!





	Braids

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to give myself everything I want!!!!! Make the content you want to see in the world!!!!

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Liz is hypnotized by the quick, delicate motion of T’pol’s fingers, pale against Hoshi’s dark hair. She weaves the strands together into a braid with perfect surety, her fingers moving as steadily as if she were a machine. Her face shows no emotion, staying stone still as she works her way down Hoshi’s long hair, tying off the braids with small rubber bands.

They’re in T’pol quarters, which have quickly become Liz’s favorite place on the ship. Better than her own quarters, which she has worked hard to make homey. But T’pol’s quarters bring with them the promise of Hoshi and T’pol’s company, which she enjoys far more than she perhaps should.

There’s a tug in her gut as she watches T’pol, a feeling like falling. She feels sickly sweet, overflowing with affection. She has the urge to write poems and buy gifts and make all sort of romantic gestures that the Vulcan would no doubt find appaling. She is truly, terribly in love, and she has no idea what to do about it. Even worse; she can’t do what she would usually do and confide in Hoshi, because she’s manage to fall for her as well!

It’s quite a pickle.

She’s fallen in love many times, she’s rather used to it by now. She has had both wonderfully successful and horribly disastrous relationships, but so far she hasn’t managed to fall for someone as ultimately uninterested in her as T’pol. Really, of all the people her heart could choose, a Vulcan? Supposedly they can’t even feel love! And Hoshi isn’t any better; falling for her best friend is almost as complicated as crushing on T’pol. It’s the classic bind: tell her and possibly ruin their friendship, or suffer in silence? She’s chosen the latter, as it seems safer, if more torturous.

So she watches and fidgets as T’pol finishes her braid, Hoshi waiting patiently for the tugging on her hair to stop. It had taken a long time for T’pol to be comfortable enough with physical contact to offer to help Hoshi with her hair. Really, Liz still isn’t sure she believes it. But there it is: a vulcan carefully, maybe even caringly, finishing a complex braided hairdo on Hoshi. It’s an unprecedented gesture of affection from T’pol, one that both Hoshi and Liz appreciate.

T’pol hums and drops her hands, looking satisfied, that almost smile tugging at her lips.

“Finished.”

Hoshi grins, hands coming up to trace the elegant loops of the braids, and Liz leans forwards to hand her a handheld mirror. She holds it for her, risking a compliment:

“You look beautiful, Hoshi.”

She tilts her head to see it in the mirror as completely as possible before bouncing happily on her heels and pulling Liz in for a hug.

“Thank you, Liz! I agree, it looks wonderful!”

She pulls away from Liz and almost goes in to hug T’pol, stopping herself at the last moment. She chuckles nervously and apologizes:

“Sorry, forgot.”

T’pol tilts her head like an intrigued bird, hesitating a long moment before speaking.

“I would not be upset if you hugged me; I understand physical displays of affection are important to you.”

Hoshi laughs, fiddling with her fingers.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, T’pol. Hugs aren’t necessary to a friendship.”

T’pol inclines her head in a deep nod, folding her hands in her lap.

“As you wish. But I do wish to impress upon you that contact with you does not discomfort me.”

Liz audibly gasps at that, slapping a hand to her mouth to cover the noise a moment later. Hoshi stutters too, blushing a light pink:

“Really?”

T’pol stiffens, an edge of embarrassment to her.

“Vulcans do not forgo affection entirely, but we do not enter into it as quickly as humans. I believe we have been close long enough to justify some contact.”

That makes Liz’s stomach do a flip and she leans forwards, not about to let such a rare opportunity pass her by. She loves hugs, will hug anyone who lets her. 

“Well, I’ll take a hug.”

T’pol turns to her and suddenly she leans in, wrapping her arms around Liz. She’s a surprisingly good hugger; with a strong grip and no hint of hesitation at all. Liz can’t help it; she giggles like a fool and melts into the hug, letting her head fall down on her shoulder. T’pol lets her stay like that for a long moment before gently pulling away. Liz feels a bit dizzy with affection, her head spinning with the feeling that this was something very important.

As she gathers herself, Hoshi goes in for a hug too, enthusiastically wrapping her arms around the Vulcan. T’pol hugs her back, the slightest quirk of her lips making Liz feel that she’s enjoying it as much as Hoshi is. Then they too pull apart, Hoshi looking as happy as Liz feels. T’pol gathers herself, her face returning to it’s usual emotionlessness, and she asks:

“Shall we watch a movie?”

Things return to their normal routine and they start up Dracula, Liz desperately trying to focus on the movie and not how much worse her two crushes have gotten.

\---------


End file.
